“Thank you for the wonderful meal. It was perfection as usual,” Ares told the men that were gathered round.

“As you know, we were here for more than just your cooking,” Dion stated. “The Descendant that I’ve been watching over is in trouble. She was almost snatched a couple of times. She’s high-profile, and I think that’s the only reason she hasn’t been taken before now. She’s the descendant of Aphrodite and will need protection around the clock when she goes back to Hollywood for the final filming of the movie she’s in.”

“I’m assuming that you want us to watch over her?” Gareth asked. “Though high-profile isn’t exactly something we’ve taken on as of yet. We’re always up for new challenges, even if it is in Tinseltown.”

“Yes, at least four of you. Two for the daytime and two for at night. Make sure that they are the ones that you will be able to spare for the next two months, perhaps less, but no longer. They will need to be versatile and able to blend in with a crowd as well.”

“We don’t split the team up,” Mikhail said. “At least not without all hell breaking loose. We work together for a reason, and it’s because we each bring a particular skill to the table. It might never be needed, but it’s better to have available than left at home. So give us a damn good reason to send only four on this job.”

“Because you will need the other eight here. Trouble is going to come to your doorstep. We don’t know exactly what sort yet, but there is trouble coming. You will be needed here while the four going will be required there for her. The four single men need to go.”

“Well that at least lets us off the hook of picking straws,” James said. “Though sending the singles makes sense, especially if she’s one of the Descendants like he’s suggesting. I don’t like the idea of us splitting up either, but if something is coming our way, no way in hell am I leaving Kasper here without us. No offense, babe, I know you’re damn handy with that rifle, but that’s one gun against apparently not even the gods know what.”

“I agree,” Kasper said simply.

“She is one of the Descendants. She’s also just broken up from an engagement. The man she was engaged to was one of Hades’s acolytes. He was dangerous, and she’d cut off all communication with him. It pissed him off all the more. He was unsalvageable, and in fact he has been killed by Hades’s other acolytes for failing.”

“Good to know,” Stefan muttered. “Well, at least we’ll see some action. We’ll need all the information of course, plus the locations we’ll be at on this trip, and the woman as well. Anything and everything, per the usual. Might as well start studying up on this. When do we start?”

“The full files will be in your inboxes, all of the scans of the threats against her as well as the images of the men who have all been part of some sort of plot to kidnap her. Although wouldn’t it be woman-nap?” Dion’s voice seemed as if he were bored instead of talking about a woman that he helped to raise.

“Complete dossiers will be available to you all. If you need anything, just ask, and we will try to get it to you. You all understand that we aren’t able to give the whole ball of wax away, but we will try to give you enough to make a candle,” Ares said, proud of himself for the references he was making.

All the people at the table stared at him for a long, very uncomfortable moment before they began to talk among themselves. “We’ll need to get you out there as early as we can so that you can get a feel for the place,” Mik said. “The jet will have to come right back here in case we need it for whatever reason.”

“We should also go over the areas she’ll be residing in, and working to cover all the bases. Without the additional manpower you guys will have to be on your game fully,” Gareth commented. “It would be helpful to have a god on standby in the case of an emergency if they happen to need backup from this end temporarily.”

“Well, good ole cousin Dion will be there with her. I travel with her everywhere. So get used to me.” Dion all but preened. “I adore that girl, so whoever is hers had better be damn thankful that she’s theirs. She’s an amazing being. The only trouble is…” He looked to Ares.

Ares sighed and said, “The trouble is that she is love.”